The dusk was gloomy.
The Central Plains.
The world.
In the winter of the first year of Jingping, when the northern wind swept across the low sky, the northern half of the Wu dynasty, which had enjoyed peace for more than two hundred years and had once been as prosperous as a paradise, had declined like a night-blooming epiphyllum. As the Lady Zhenren moved south, great chaos was brewing. To the north of Bianliang, although large areas had not been affected by the disaster of war, the basic order had begun to waver.
The defeated soldiers scattered, commerce came to a standstill, and order in the cities fell into a stalemate. After more than two hundred years of rule by the Wu dynasty, the kingship had deepened. Before this, no one had thought that one day their homeland would suddenly have a barbarian of another race as the emperor. However, at least at this moment, a small number of people could already see the coming of some kind of dark outline, although they did not know how deep the darkness would be.
When this collapse began, if one wanted to record it, there were a few things that had to be written down over the years. The Wu dynasty allied with the Jin to resist the Liao, the disaster of Fang La, the unsuccessful northern expedition, and buying a city to claim credit. In the winter of Jing Han's thirteenth year, the Jin went south for the first time. A year later, they went south for the second time and broke Bianliang. Among these, Jing Han's regicide in the fourteenth year was perhaps not enough to be on the list of major events.
As for this winter, when Bianliang was broken, there was another piece of the puzzle that formed the prelude to the collapse of the whole world. It happened in a place that most people did not know about.
The northwest.
At the border between the Wu dynasty and Xixia, the two-hundred-kilometer Hengshan area was sparsely populated.
This was the land of war since ancient times. Since the Tang dynasty, after hundreds of years until the Wu dynasty, the people of the northwest were tough and fierce, and there were endless wars. There was a poem in the Tang dynasty, "Pity the bones by the Wuding River, like a person in the dreams of a boudoir." The Wuding River in the poem was the river in the Hengshan area. This was the northern edge of the Loess Plateau. The land was desolate and there was not much vegetation, so the river often changed its course. That was why the river was named "Wuding." It was also because the value of the land here was not high and there were not many residents, so it became the boundary between the two countries.
At the same time, the two-hundred-kilometer Hengshan area was also a natural barrier between the Wu dynasty and Xixia and the Wu dynasty.
Since a hundred years ago, Li Deming, a member of the Dangxiang Clan, established the Xixia Country, which had been embroiled in disputes with the Liao Kingdom, Wu Kingdom, and Tubo Kingdom. The existence of the Western Xia over the past hundred years allowed the Wu dynasty to have the Western Army, which was the most warlike in the entire country. Later on, it was also the Western Army that the imperial court feared the most. A hundred years of war and chaos, both coming and going, but what most of the people of the Wu dynasty did not know was that in these past years, under the efforts of the Western Army's generals, the Yang family, the Zhe family, and the other generals and soldiers, by the middle of the Jing Han dynasty, the Western Army had already pushed the battle line across the entire Hengshan region.
Had it not been for the rise of the Jin Kingdom and its invasion of the south, the Wu dynasty would have dispatched troops to the northwest in a few more years. By then, the entire Western Xia would have been defenseless.
Of course, this could only be expressed in hindsight.
In the first year of Jingping, the Jurchen people launched a second war against Wu. In the area north of Hengshan that not many people paid attention to, on this day in the eleventh month, the figures of the army appeared in this desolate land. The banner of the Li family of the Western Xia was raised high. The silhouettes of thousands of infantrymen and crossbowmen appeared on the horizon, stretching between the mountains and kicking up dust. But the most astonishing thing was that near the main formation of the army, there were three thousand cavalrymen marching slowly. This was the most valiant and world-famous heavy cavalry of the Western Xia army, the "Iron Sparrow Hawk." The entire army had been mobilized.
Surrounded and protected by the "Iron Sparrow Hawks" was the flag of the Western Xia King, fluttering in the north wind. After losing control of the Hengshan region in the war with the Zhong brothers several years ago, the Western Xia King, Li Qianshun, finally led his army south again and forced his way to Sui and Yan Provinces!
Outside the general trend of the world, there were also trivial matters that temporarily crossed paths with the general trend and then separated.
"Clop, clop, clop."
The sky was already dark. On a winding mountain road not too far from the Hengshan region, a group of horses was advancing. It was difficult to travel on the mountain road at night, but the people in front and behind each had weapons, bows, and other things. Some horses and mules had boxes, cloth bags, and other things on their backs. The person at the front of the group was missing a hand and carrying a single saber. But as the horse moved forward, he also had a leisurely aura, and in this leisurely aura, there was a bit of fierceness that blended with the cold winter wind. It was the famous "Towering Saber" Du Sha of the Tyrannical Saber Village.
In the rear of the group were Chen Fan and his wife of the Tyrannical Saber Village, Zhu Biao, Hunchback Chen, and the others of the Takeshi Village. This group added up to about a hundred people, but most of them were experts of the Green Forest. They had experienced battle formations and knew how to work together to attack. Even if they had to face the enemy head-on, they could fight against hundreds or even thousands of soldiers without being at a disadvantage. The reason for this was that the person in the middle of the group, as the leader, had become the common enemy of the world.
Watermelon rode a horse and walked side by side with the scholar named Ning Yi in the middle of the group. The vegetation in the mountains in the northwest was short and rough. As a southerner, the mountains looked rugged and a bit desolate. It was already late, and the north wind had started to turn cold. She did not care about this, but she had some things on her mind along the way, so her expression was not good.
"… This kind of place is hard to enter and hard to leave. There are six to seven thousand people, and if we fight, we have to eat meat. Sooner or later, we will starve. You always choose the best food to eat. Let's see what you can do."
Because of her worries, as she walked forward, she, who still looked like a young girl, was still nagging and nitpicking. There were many experts around her, so although her voice was not loud, everyone could still hear it. Everyone's faces tightened, not daring to laugh. After being together for nearly half a year, even those who did not belong to the Tyrannical Saber Camp knew that she was not to be trifled with.
She had managed the Tyrant Saber Manor for many years. Even though she was a woman, and some of her actions were a little special, she had trained herself to not show her emotions on her face. She would not vent her anger on others over small matters. She would not vent her anger on others over small matters. But in front of Ning Yi, this kind of training was not of much use. Some people knew the reason, but they would not say much. Some people did not know, and they did not dare to say much.
Ever since she had met Ning Yi in Hangzhou, Watermelon was already twenty-three years old. In theory, she had been married before, and she had even had a "bridal chamber" with Ning Yi. But after a series of events, this marriage was in name only. Because of the destruction of Hangzhou and the killing of the seven Buddhas, the enmity between the two parties became entangled, and it was difficult to resolve.
Half a year ago, Ning Yi had summoned the Tyrannical Saber Camp and the others to the capital to kill the emperor and rebel. Watermelon had led them there. After wreaking havoc in the capital, the group gathered and headed west, then north, looking for a place to settle down along the way. They also rested for a period of time at Mount Lu Liang. In the beginning, there was always a small barrier between her and Ning Yi, which she wanted to get closer but couldn't.
The killing of the seven Buddhas was too big a matter. Even though she could now understand what Ning Yi had done at the time, Watermelon was a girl who cared about her face. Even though she had feelings for him, she was still afraid that others would say that she had forgotten her duty for personal reasons, and that they would point fingers at her behind her back. With these thoughts in mind, when she saw Ning Yi, she had to draw a clear line between them.
In the eyes of Chen Fan, Ji Qian 'er, and the others who were married, these things were naturally quite ridiculous. But in front of Watermelon, they did not dare to show it — otherwise, they would become hostile. But during that time, Ning Yi had a lot of things to do. He had carelessly killed the emperor, and the world was shocked. But what to do next, where to go, how to go in the future, whether there would be a future, and all kinds of problems needed to be solved. Short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals had to be defined, and they had to be convincing.
On the other side, Ning Yi also had Tan'Er and other family members to take care of, so there was not much time left for the two of them to communicate. Often, it was Ning Yi who came over to say hello and say a few words, and Watermelon's face would turn cold. But she was afraid that Ning Yi would leave, so she would often snort twice to show her disdain for Ning Yi. Everyone found it funny, but Ning Yi was not angry. He was already used to Watermelon's thin skin.
Fortunately, there was still time when they didn't talk to each other. After killing the emperor, the imperial court would certainly try their best to kill Ning Yi, so no matter where Ning Yi went, there had to be one or two great masters by his side. Red Ti, Watermelon, Chen Fan, Zhu Biao, and the others — ever since he returned to Lu Liang, Red Ti also had some things to deal with, so Watermelon followed him the most.
She had practiced martial arts with her father since she was a child, and later followed Fang La in the rebellion. She was busy and moved around, so she did not feel tired or bored. When it came to leading the Tyrant Saber Manor, Watermelon Watermelon might be rough, but she was not a woman who could arrange the details in an orderly manner. In this regard, the Tyrant Saber Manor still had Chief Steward Liu Tiannan to thank. In the following days, Watermelon followed Ning Yi everywhere. Watermelon liked the talent of others. Sometimes, when Ning Yi talked to people in his room, made arrangements, or talked to a group of officers about their future plans, Watermelon would sit at the side, or sit on the roof with her chin in her hand, and would listen with great interest.
After more than two months, when Watermelon sensed that others did not seem to care much about her relationship with Ning Yi, she began to talk to Ning Yi again. After moving from Lu Liang to Little Canghe and planning for the future, Ning Yi left the mountain twice to run errands. The two of them chatted over meals, by the bonfire, or on the road. They mostly talked about matters related to the rebellion and future plans. Even so, every time they met and chatted, she was very satisfied.
Her dissatisfaction came from another place.
In order to wreak havoc in the capital, the Saber Manor had sent around two thousand people. After the matter was finished, another one thousand people returned in several batches. Winter was getting deeper by the day. Although Liu Tiannan was holding down the south, after the regicide, not only would they be suppressed by the righteous path, they would also become more famous, and people would come to join them from afar. Or perhaps, the people in the stronghold would be in chaos. As the Manor Lord, although no one had explicitly said it, she had to go back no matter what.
As for the news she heard and the various problems she encountered on this trip, it was not a big deal.
The sky was already dark, and torches were lit in front of the group. The sound of wolves could be heard from afar. Occasionally, the girl beside him would complain, but Ning Yi did not refute. If Watermelon quietened down, he would also find some time to chat with her. At this time, they were not far from their destination. The riverbed of Little Canghe appeared in their field of vision. Following the river upstream, they could see the faintly lit mountain pass in the distance.
And the sentries in the distance had already seen the light.
The group of horses moved forward and entered through the mountain pass where Little Canghe flowed. It was dinner time at night. After entering the first level of the valley, the light of the bonfire stretched on the empty space between the riverbed and the mountain wall. The place where more than seven thousand people gathered was mottled with the light of the bonfire spreading along the mountain. Compared to the scene from ten days ago, there were many more things in the valley, but it still seemed desolate. However, there were already children in the crowd.
The huge shed that served as the canteen had been built before. At this time, the soldiers in the valley were lining up to go in and out. The outline of the stables could be seen in the distance. From Bianliang, besides the original horses in Lu Liang, the two thousand fine horses that had been taken away were the most important property in the mountain. Therefore, these buildings were built first. In addition, before Ning Yi left, Little Canghe Village had already built a blacksmith workshop and an earthen blast furnace on the mountainside. These were the craftsmen from Lu Liang Mountain, and they wanted to make some construction tools on the spot. If they wanted to make them in large quantities, they could only transport them from the Green Wood Stronghold, without considering the raw materials.
The caves on the mountain wall, which were used to prepare for winter and store materials, were still under construction. At this time, there were more than ten caves, but no one lived in them for the time being. It was possible that the inside was not completely built. There were many more wooden houses on the side of the valley. They seemed to be of good thickness, and after some repairs, they could be used for winter. However, this winter, half of the people might have to stay in felt tents.
Fortunately, the Su family was originally a cloth merchant. After Lu Liang Mountain was used for smuggling, the cloth business was almost monopolized by Ning Yi, so he had a large stock of goods. Before killing Zhou Zhe, Ning Yi also had a plan for more than a month. Even though it was rushed, these goods were not scarce.
He stood at the mountain pass and watched for a while. Seeing the caravan coming in, the people in the mountain looked over. Although there was no shouting, everyone seemed to be very excited. Ning Yi thought for a while. He guessed that the first batch of Wu Ruiying's family members had arrived, so they were very excited. In the firelight, someone had already arrived. It was General Sun Ye. Ning Yi got off his horse and greeted each other. "How many people have come in total? Have they all been arranged? Is there enough room? "
"736 people have come. They were originally soldiers of the Wu Ruiying Camp. Of those who didn't leave with us, 193 came. The rest are their family members. They've all been arranged. " Sun Ye lowered his voice as he spoke. "Some were instructed by the court to be honest with us in private. In between …"
Ning Yi listened to him and nodded. He then smiled. "No wonder their morale is suddenly so high."
"Morale … is because of another matter."
"Hmm?"
"It's because of the fall of Bianliang …"
As they walked, Sun Ye spoke in a low voice. In the light of the torches, Ning Yi's expression froze slightly, and then he stopped. He raised his head and took a deep breath. The night wind blew a chill over.
Ever since he came to this Wu Dynasty, he had been indifferent at the start. Later on, he became worried, and then he did everything he could. Later on, he had almost sacrificed his life to protect that city. All of this was because he did not wish for such an ending. When he decided to kill Zhou Zhe, he knew that this ending was already set in stone. However, his mind might not have given it much thought. Now, it was finally clear.
After going around in circles for so long, everything had finally been forced before his eyes. Heaven and earth were collapsing, and no one knew what kind of future the little speck of light in the valley would lead to.
But no matter what, the reason for the high morale in the valley was finally clear.
He sighed and walked forward.
In front of the valley, and further ahead, the river and winding road stretched out. There were a few caves in the foothills that were emitting light. The nearby guards formed a team, and in one of the rooms, a woman was checking the accounts and calculating the supplies. A female soldier from the Green Wood Stronghold came in and whispered something in her ear. The woman raised her head and stopped writing with the tip of her pen. She said something to the female soldier. After she left, the woman named Su Tan 'er gently stroked her hair. She calmed down and continued to look at the things on the page. Then, she made a small black dot.
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